Just the other day I've been driving to work, home.
2 days later my truck started, I backed out of the gate, I shut off the truck to go lock something, come back and my truck wouldn't start anymore. I go to turn the key and you hear a " click click click click click " all t he lights on the dash will blink / fade. So, I'm thinking my battery is about had it. The truck has 140k miles on it, I doubt the battery has ever been replaced, the truck has 2 batteries but t he second one isn't hooked up, I need to buy a longer Positive cable. I put battery acid in it a week ago. But just now it has been on charge for about 6 hours on low. I just went to crank it and it still just did the same thing, I flicked my lights on, and I turned the key and everything just blinked, and faded off. I doubt the starter is bad. Could I just take my battery out and take it to AutoZone and see if it's done?

If I need to replace : what kind do you recommend for cold, good start, ect.

-Thank you

 

He's dead Jim.

I went to battery wholesale, and got the biggest, meanest battery that would physically fit. (and the longest warranty....)

 

Any certain brand I should get / stay away from?

Before I buy a new battery, should I maybe try to set the secondary battery as my main? It was used for a trailer light as I was told.

I'm not sure if the volt and cranking power would be the same.

But I guess no harm can be done trying that battery, huh?

 

Funny you should write about batteries because I just went threw a whole ordeal with mine today. I had a optima red top. I was wiring up a vacuum gauge, so I disconnected the battery. I finished wiring it and connected my battery but it was absolutely dead. It was only 3 1/2 years old. So I called AAA to get a jump start and the guy who helped me, hooked it up to a battery reader machine and said that it had a bad cell. I figured he didn't know what he was talking about, got my battery charged and ignored him. Well, after I let me battery charge, I turned it off. Then an hour later I go back to start my rig to run to the store and nothing! So I took it back to Costco and got $83 for it. I ended up buying a Kirkland battery (heard good stuff about them and I love dealing with Costco) for $90. It was a 1000 CA and 750 CCA which was more then the optima was rated at. I'd definitely go with a Kirkland battery from Costco. They have a 3 year free replacement on there batteries and there customer service is bar none.

 

I have a secondary battery that I never used, It's a Super Starter - It has

• 12 Volt
• Cold Cranking Amps: 840
• Cranking Amps: 1010
• Reserve Capacity: 140

Should that be good? It's kind of better than my duralast that is my main.. giving me issues.

 

Before you replace the battery you might want to verify the charging system is working. Of course, the truck has to be running then check voltage at the battery terminals. It should be somewhere above 14 volts, probably around 14.5 or something like that.

 

did you try charging the optima battery like they say on the optima web site? i have read if they drop below a certain point they have to be hooked in parallel to another 12v battery and then hooked up to a battery charger.
http://www.optimabatteries.com/produ...s.php#charging

 

Yeah, went threw that whole sha-bang but it would still make a funky noise like it didn't want to turn over, then turn over and start. Can't really explain it, but it was very unsettling. I don't have that problem anymore with my new battery. I just don't want to take the chance of being stuck somewhere. I go to pretty rough neighborhoods a lot.

 

It is always prudent to check the connections to make certain there is not a bad ground or corroded connection somewhere. Getting the alternator checked before spending money is also a great idea. I do admit, I am partial to the store brand of battery at Oreily's. I will also share a bit of info that applies only to lead acid batteries. Keep in mind, I am cheaper than tweety bird. The reaction in the battery electrolyte & the lead plates is where all the action is. This is where it takes & gives back the charge required. After time, the lead plates will develop a coating of sulfur. That coating prevents the charge from coming in or going out. If you have a battery that has removable caps, you can usually bring it back to life for very little money. I have kept batteries alive & well beyond 10 years, which is usually when I get rid of something. Get a gallon of distilled water, NOT tap or drinking water. Get some epsom salts. Mix 1/2 cup epsom salt with 1/2 gallon distilled water completely. Find a safe place to dump out the liquid your battery already has in it. The epsom salt & distilled water is how you make battery electrolyte btw. Now, fill it with the new electrolyte you just made & set it aside. You will need a very slow trickle charger or float charger, then trickle charge it for 24-48 hours, this will not only charge it, but knock off the sulfur buildup on the lead plates. Fast charging will do NOTHING to remove sulfur, so remember that the slowest charge possible is IDEAL. It should work flawlessly after this. I got a float charger from my local harbor freight store for $5 and it worked perfectly for the job. The distilled water & salt mixture was less than $3 and this really does work. Hard to go wrong with a new battery, but if you in a pinch before payday, this does work. Good luck!

 

Thought this was worth mentioning. Apparently, Johnson Controls Inc make Optima batteries as well as Costco brand Kirkland batteries. They also make other well known brands.
http://www.johnsoncontrols.com/publi...kgrounder.html